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Shashi Tharoor and G Sukumaran Nair.
In a big political statement, G Sukumaran Nair, the general secretary of the Nair Service Society (NSS) said in an interview that Shashi Tharoor can be the next Prime Minister, but other Congress leaders won't allow that to happen.
This comes after Tharoor's ‘A Nair cannot stand another Nair' statement at an NSS event on 2 January to commemorate the 146th birth anniversary of NSS founder Mannath Padmanabhan.
The remarks were seen as targeted towards fellow Nairs in the Congress — KC Venugopal, VD Satheesan and Ramesh Chennithala who were not happy with Tharoor's statewide tour, including meeting leaders of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).
The event had seen the rapprochement of Tharoor and Sukumaran Nair. Nair who had earlier called Tharoor as a 'Delhi Nair' changed tack and said that Tharoor is 'a son of Kerala' and 'a global citizen.'
Nair lashed out at the Congress leadership at the state saying it was inefficient. Regarding the loss in the 2021 Assembly elections, he said that it was because Chennithala was projected as the chief ministerial candidate. He added that the Congress could have won if instead of Chennithala, Oomen Chandy was announced as the candidate.
Regarding other Nair leaders like VD Satheesan, (the present Leader of Opposition) and Chennithala, he said that they do not enjoy the community’s confidence because of their behaviour towards the NSS and the Nairs.
He added that Chennithala had said ‘don’t brand me as a Nair', after receiving the support of the NSS.
Tharoor, meanwhile, has continued his tour across the state and has expressed his interest to take a greater role in politics not just at the state level by taking part in the 2026 Assembly elections but also in the party by contesting the Congress Working Committee (CWC) elections expected to be held in February.
However, he downplayed speculations that his tours and increased visibility in Kerala politics has got to do with his wanting to become the Chief Minister.
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